I'll spare stories and meanderings of the exact series of events that led me to my current circumstances in the interest of keeping everyone's attention.

My first car, a toothpaste-blue '96 Ford Contour, lies rather shambled on the side of the driveway. (Suffice to say the head gasket blew and it was all downhill from there.) I wish I could say I'll look back fondly upon it, but it was hardly a fun car.

Here I am, needing a new car, and I've come to realize that there's quite a few old muscle cars listed on CarSoup in my Twin Cities' metro, and they're about the same price as another boring, wimpy, 4-door sedan. A lot of these cars I'm seeing listed seem to Camaros, and I've gone and run off with the idea of owning one to the point where very little could dissuade me.

Naturally, I want to get a good deal, and, moreover, I want to buy something that will serve me well and last longer than that less-than-beloved Contour.

- What year did Camaros go from carburetors to fuel injectors? Will I see a significant improvement in fuel economy or vehicle longevity with fuel injection?

- Regarding older Camaros, will replacement parts be difficult for me (or my mechanic, should I be overwhelmed by steel and wires and black tubes) to find?

- Minnesota is known for her winters (though summers are extreme as well, contrary to popular belief), and all concerns of rust and other hardships aside, should I be prepared to replace tires or even wheels to better my vehicle's traction on icy and/or snow-covered roads, or has the lack of traction that a Camaro (with stock tires, that is) will suffer in the winter been exaggerated by my pragmatic and disapproving friend?

I thank you for any useful tidbits or thorough expositions you may have to offer on these questions or any other topics I might do well to be aware of.

If it's of any idle interest or dire importance, here're a few cars I've been looking at. Opinions on good prices (or lack thereof) are welcome.

'84 Camaro Z28. 5.0L V8 4BBL HO OHV, auto tranny, 100,000 miles. Some rust, mostly cosmetic. Seller notes that the previous owner had changed the gear ratio for faster acceleration. This means lower MPG (around 20), but it also means the engine is going to run higher RPMs when cruising in the fifty-sixty MPH area. As opposed to around 1900 RPM, it will run around 2500 RPM. How much will this effect engine life? How expensive is it to have the ratios changed to a more economical setting? $3100, seller notes negotiable.

'89 Camaro. 5.0L V8 TBI OHV 16V, auto tranny, 75,000 miles. $2600.

'87 Camaro IROC-Z. 5.0L V8 TBI OHV 16V, auto tranny, tinted glass t-tops, 98,000 miles. $4200. I'd not pay this much; I'd have to talk them down.

'88 Camaro IROC-Z. 5.0L V8 TPI HO OHV, auto tranny, 74,500 miles. No rust, current owner only drives on clear summer days. K&N air filter, some audio upgrades. $4500. Again, this seems a bit steep, both by my gut and by NADA blue book.

There's a few others, but they're more expensive and I won't be buying them unless I can talk them down significantly. Too high for my budget and too high for the cars, I think.

Many thanks for any words of wit or wisdom.